National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd is scheduled to testify before a Senate sub-committee later this month on the state of AUO and its use within the US Border Patrol. We will send out details on that hearing as soon as they become available.

The release of the Omnibus Spending Bill indicated positive news for the Border Patrol Pay Reform Act as the House and Senate Appropriations Committees specifically mentioned pay reform in the joint explanatory statement they issued. It reads as follows:

"Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime

CBP is directed to support the Department's review of the rampant use of Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime (AUO) across the Department. Recognizing the particular challenges of the Border Patrol, the Commissioner shall work with the National Border Patrol Council to expeditiously develop a pay reform proposal and submit it to Congress. Until such proposal is enacted, CBP shall be judicious in the use of AUO, consistent with current law, policies, and operational needs and cognizant of budgetary constraints."

The NBPC views this as a step forward to ensure that Border Patrol agents are fairly and consistently compensated. We will continue to provide updates as the process moves along.